Frank Thompson Strikes Skeet Silver For His First World Cup Medal

Frank Thompson competes in men's skeet qualification at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Shooting Centre on Aug. 13, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Frank Thompson took a significant step forward on the international stage by earning his first world cup podium, taking silver in men’s skeet Sunday afternoon in Acapulco, Mexico.

Prior to Sunday, the two-time Olympian’s best international finish was a silver medal at the 2010 Championship of the Americas in Rio de Janeiro. He also took a bronze at the same event in 2014 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Tenth after the first day of qualifying, Thompson stepped up his game on the second day to hit 48 of 50 targets and improve to fifth place going into the final round. He then hit 53 of 60 targets to trail Italy’s Marco Sablone by only two. Australia’s Paul Adams claimed the bronze.

A six-time U.S. championships medalist who hails from Alliance, Nebraska, Thompson has been part of the national residency program in Colorado Springs, Colorado since 2006. Three years later he was part of a team that set a world record on the way to the team world title. Acapulco marked his 19th world cup start. His previous best finish was a trio of fifth-place finishes from 2008, 2011 and 2014.

Thompson’s medal rounds out a solid showing for Team USA in Mexico. It began a week ago with Ashley Carroll’s first world cup gold in women’s trap, followed by women’s skeet taking three of the top four places, led by six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode’s gold and Caitlin Connor’s fourth career silver in world cup competition.